Hi all

I’ve just purchased my 2012 RRS and need to put some roof bars on to carry a heavy (32kg) kayak.

The car doesn’t have any rails or bars at the moment, so I need to start from scratch.

Because it’s heavy, I cant just lift it up and place it on top of the car. I need to load the kayak from the rear of the car and what I did with my old merc estate was to put the nose of the kayak up on the rear spoiler (with a piece of carpet in between to stop scratches), go to the tail of the kayak, lift it up and push/slide the kayak onto the rear and then the front roof bars. It was difficult, but doable, singlehanded. With a much taller vehicle, it's going to be even more difficult.

It looks like this won’t work with the RRS anyway, as I can’t seem to find any bars that can be fitted close to the rear of the car. And I don’t fancy sliding the kayak along the roof. Most bars seem to clamp above the tops of the door surrounds, and that’s not very far back.

Any ideas about how I can fit a cross bar right near the back of the car? Will I have to fit rails and, if I do, can I mount the bars anywhere along them, including right at the back and right at the front?

I use the Malone Seawings to hold the kayak, and I was going to get the Stinger accessory, but I think that won’t work unless the rear bar is further back (about 20” max from the rear of the roof spoiler)

Any advice or other ideas?

Bill,

Just been through all of the Thule website looking for some bars for my 2008 (they do a roller system for ladders which is of interest to me) and they have this clever little invention... not cheap though but probably worth it not to damage the car (or your back)

https://www.thule.com/en-gb/gb/sport-rack/...o-_-898000

Nige

Thanks nige, that's a neat bit of kit, but pricey like you say. . I'm not convinced though that'll lower enough for me to be able to lift my kayak on to it. 80+lbs is a lot for me to lift, even if only to waist height when there's a only one handle on the kayak.

Others ideas welcomed!

Send a pm to muddywheels his photo shows a kayak on top of his RRS!

What do you paddle? You could always switch to slalom and use a carbon boat 😀 I used to have a Wavesport Stubby but that was in my younger fitter days, and before I could afford a decent car!

Please mind, nothing better than Thule slidebar for a heavy Kajak. Worth the invest.
I have a 26kg kayak an this is the best solution ever:

https://www.thule.com/en-gb/gb/roof-rack/r...3-_-893000

Best
René

nigethecat wrote:

Send a pm to muddywheels his photo shows a kayak on top of his RRS!

What do you paddle? You could always switch to slalom and use a carbon boat 😀 I used to have a Wavesport Stubby but that was in my younger fitter days, and before I could afford a decent car!

Renaco wrote:

Please mind, nothing better than Thule slidebar for a heavy Kajak. Worth the invest.
I have a 26kg kayak an this is the best solution ever:

https://www.thule.com/en-gb/gb/roof-rack/r...3-_-893000

Best
René

No, I put first the nose of the kayak on top of one bar (backend sits on the ground), so you pull up only 60% of the wight.
Than I pull the rear end of the kayak on the other bar once the front sits already on the first bar.

Simple and doable for my wife...

Carbon fibre canoe?

Trailer? 2018 (MY19) Jaguar F-Pace R-Sport 300PS Petrol in Caesium Blue with many bells and whistles.
2015 RRS HSE SDV6 Firenze Red with Santorini Panoramic Glass Roof, gone but not forgotten.

d-9 wrote:

Carbon fibre canoe?

JOCK55 wrote:

Trailer?

I've got the roof bars and land rovers canoe/kayak mounts but it difficult to mount even with 2 people let alone 1 just to high even in access mode so I went for a trailer..





Las pic has the rails and mounts on
 2008 G4 RRSport TDV8 current
2009 TDCi 90 current
2018 Discovery 5 HSE lux current
1994 Dakar current

Nice set-up Camelrock!

Just looked a photo of a Hobie Outback and why not just put a bigger set of wheels under it and then a tow hitch on the front... either that or ask the Royal Marines how they tow theirs? (seems to have GPMG mounts on it already!!!)

Camelrock wrote:

I've got the roof bars and land rovers canoe/kayak mounts but it difficult to mount even with 2 people let alone 1 just to high even in access mode so I went for a trailer..





Las pic has the rails and mounts on